Auto signal



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,681

M. FUJIMOTO ET AL AUTO SIGNAL Filed May 2l 1920 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE.

AUTO SIGNAL.

Application led May 21,

To all whom t may concern:

Be itV known that we, Morozo FUJiMoTo and TErsUJr OKAWA, subjects of the Emperor of Japan, and residents of Portland, county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Auto Signals, of which the following is a specification.

In'certain States, for example Oregon, standard signals'have been adopted for automobilists, by which to indicate their intention of stopping or turning to the right or left.

The object of our invention is to provide a mechanical signaling device which is operable by a lever, and adjustable by a simple operation to simulate said standard signals, namely our device includesametal hand which when held up indicates turning to the-right, when held out in horizontal position indicates turning to the left, and when held down indicates stopping.

We attain our object by the device illustrated yin Vthe accompanying drawings and hereinafter 'fully described.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l shows a part of a wind shield post of-an automobile with our automobile attachment applied as in practice; as herev shown is presented in three positions, the position of our device in full outlines showing it adjusted for indicating the signal for stopping and when the operating lever is then operated, the signal will be positioned with the hand down as shown by the lower position of our signal in dotted outline; the

- to the preceding ligure;

Fig. 4.- is a section taken on the line indicated by the section on the line 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of our device as it would appear looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figi, the scale of drawing in Fig. 5 being however somewhit larger than that employed in Fig. l; an

Figsw, 7 and 8 are details of construction hereinafter more fully described.

Our device consists of a bracket a pro- 1920. Serial No. 383,279.

vided with a divided sleeve Z) adapted to be clamped on the wind shield postc ot the automobile, as shown in Fig. 5.

The lazy tong d is pivoted to the wall a of the bracket a. The lazy tong is provided with a pointer c which is brought into registration with one of the points g or 7L, by which the lazy tongs are arranged so that when projected by the operation of the lever z', the hand carried by the lazy tongs will be placed in one of its three positions to indicate turning to the right, turning to the left or stopping as already mentioned.

On the extremity oit one member of the lazy tongs (l are attached two parallel arcuate guide arms 7c, 7c, the attachment being effected as illustrated in Fig'. S.

The extremity Z of the other member of the lazy tongs is adapted for having mounted thereon said hand j. The wrist j of the hand is provided with guide straps m, m the former being an integral part of said extremity Z of one member of the lazy tongs (l. The guide arms c, 7c, slide between the wrist j of the hand and said guide straps m, m.

The hand j is made hollow so as to house an electric light n visible thru an aperture o which may be covered with a glass. The electric light n4 is energized thru a suitable battery of which the circuit wires are indicated by ;0, p. The light a is thrown on and off thru the medium of a switch g operated by automatic make-and-break element r, which includes laterally projecting arms 71', which slide on the guide arms lc, 7c, the latter being made with shoulders 7c so located that when the lateral arms r engage therewith the make-and-break will be moved to the position indicated in dotted outlines in Fig. 3, in so doing, turning on the light and when the lazy tongs and the hand are raised to their normal position as indicated in F ig. l, in full line, then the contact of the make-and-break r with the cross piece k2 of the guide arms k, 7c, will move the former down into its initial position, hence turning out the light.

One member of the lazy tongs is provided with an operating lever or handle i which is provided with spring controlled, :linger operated pawl s terminating in a pin t adapted for being engaged with one of the series of holes u in the wall a of the bracket a therebv so adjusting our device that when the hand lever i is moved to its position indicated in dotted outline in Fig. l, thus projecting the lazy tongs, it Will assume the position desired for indicating the direction 'in which the Vehicle Will be turned, or for indicating stopping.

Since in the day time the turning on of the light is usually not required, We provide an adjustable stop v on one of the members or" the lazy tongs which is adaptable to abut With one of the other toggle members of the same. W hen the stop is arranged as shown in Figs. l and 2 it Will prevent the maximum extension of the members to such an extent as to bring the lateral arms r of the make-and-break r in contact with the shoulder 7c of the guide arms 7c, hence preventing the operation of said make-and-break. When the stop a is adjusted to its position o shown in the dotted outline in Fig. 2 it Will be parallel to the previously mentioned toggle member and thus allow the makeand-break element to function as already described.

We claim:

l. In a signal of the character described, a supporting bracket, lazy tongs pivoted to such bracket, a pair of parallel arcuate guide arms carried by the extremity of one member of said lazy tongs, a hand carried by the extremity oi' the other member of said lazy tongs, guide elements aixed to the wrist of said hand in which said guide rods slide, an electric-light carried by said hand, the circuit Wires of which are connected to a make-andbreak, one element of Which has a piece sliding on said guide arms, and a stop for the latter element pro vided on said guide arms yvhe'reby the relative movement of the hand in the latter in one direction closes the electric circuit of said light, and movement in the opposite direction opens said circuit.

2. In a signal of the `character described, a supporting bracket, lazy tongs pivoted to such bracket, a pair of parallel arcuate guide arms carried by the extremity of one member of said lazy tongs, a hand carried by the extremity of the other member of said lazy tongs, guide elements afiixed to the Wrist of said hand in which said guide rods slide, an electric light carried byl said hand, the circuit Wires of which are connected to a make-and-b1'eak, one element of which has apiece sliding on said guide arms, and a stop for the latter element provided on said guide arms whereby the relative movement of the hand in the latter in one direction closes the electric circuit of said light, and movement in the opposite direction opens said circuit, and means adjustable to limit the relative movement of said hand in said circuit closing direction, thereby to prevent such closing.

TETSUJI OKAWA. MOTOZO FUJIMOTO. 

